Tim Rajeff’s Abstract Hyper- Distance Theory of Fly Casting

So you want to make a long fly cast? Who better to tell you how than former world champion Tim Rajeff.

The name Rajeff rings out in the world of competitive fly casting. Brothers Tim and Steve have been a force of nature for decades, holding a slew of records between them. Like any siblings, there’s been a little competition too.

“In order to beat my brother, I had to learn a whole new way of casting,” Tim told me.

Tim did eventually best his brother with a style of casting he playfully refers to as “Abstract Hyper-Distance Theory”

“It’s abstract because you would never fish that way,” he explains.

Still, much of this casting technique has made it into real fly fishing. Some of the best casters I know use Tim’s technique very effectively in their fly fishing. It’s not for the faint of heart but if you are looking to throw long casts, even in heavy wind, this will help you do it.

As an educator, (I’m on lunch break) I’ve always loved Tim’s enthusiasm. It is highly contagious.
Tim gave the analogy of a baseball pitcher. As a track coach I’d like to point out that javelin throwers are another excellent example of the principles Tim mentions here. Particularly at the end where he mentions twisting his body for extra force. Basically he is utilizing rotational torque to increase linear speed. It is highly advanced and can go terribly wrong (especially with javelin throwers) but when it is mastered it can have enormous impact upon performance. An even more advanced aspect of this concept would be left leg blocking to speed up right side drive but again that is highly technical and advanced and can lead to some really funky stuff when applied incorrectly. Watch video footage of Jan Zelezny to see an excellent example of these concepts.

I spent a day on the water in Islamorada with Steve Rajeff, tarpon fishing, circa 1986. The stories about him fail to reveal that he is a superb teacher, and a very kind and gentle man. I have had a chance to fish with many of fLyfishing’s rock stars , but none was as enjoyable as Steve Rajeff